Complaint Review: COMPUSA

In response to Lex:

It's nice that you are a "computer guru", so to speak. However, you apparently did not grasp the intent of my reply to Christopher.

The reason why I inquired as to whether Christopher had purchased the monitor and printer from CompUSA is this: if they are CompUSA products, the company is the one who would be responsible for the replacement. If they are manufactured by Hewlett-Packard/Gateway/insert manufacturer of your choice here, it would depend on several factors: whether the item was under warranty (usually one year or less, although it sometimes varies from one manufacturer to another - I know of several items that have had warranties as long as 5 years), whether the consumer had purchased an "extended warranty" through the store, whether the item(s) had broken down repeatedly (under which case the "lemon law" could be applied and the consumer would be entitled to a new product), and so on. If the item(s) were CompUSA-manufactured products, the whole thing would simply be remedied at the store or over the phone dealing with corporate HQ. My inquiry was concerning what Christopher had done to seek remedy concerning his items - how many times were they replaced/repaired? If it was a great deal (and in the case of the printer, it sounds as if it was already fixed once), I could then suggest the next step to getting satisfaction.

But seeing that you're such a "computer guru" who admittedly builds your own computers "from scratch", I might dare to say that you're the one who's misinformed concerning "off-the-shelf" products and their warranties. Or perhaps you just like to come across as rude - who knows?

Christopher, if you are still reading this, the previous poster is correct about only one thing in this case: technology has changed greatly in 9 years, and the price of a new system is more or less nothing these days. Whether you get it from CompUSA or elsewhere, it matters not to me. I hope that you have better luck with your next system, however.

Dear Carrie,

You reply with questions about the monitor replacement and printer replacement. I am a certified professional programmer, and I compete in nation-wide programming contests. I built my own computer from scratch, and its about all I do. My point is that I am a computer guru.

The reason I bring this up is because the replacement of a monitor isn't important. Monitors don't affect the computer AT ALL, and three years is a very short span. Same goes with a printer. Getting a printer from guy A or from guy B, it doesn't make a difference. Its an addon, it doesn't in any way affect the computer or its lifespan. In this sense your questioning of the source of his purchase for these items is irrelevant. You most likely asked this to subtract attention from the main issue: three years is a horrible life span. Eight years is a bad life span for a computer. I have one I bought in 1991 that still works very well. Its never "died".

Ignorance is your strategy, and unfortunatly not all people will mouth-feed from your lies. As for the guy with a now 9 year old computer- just get a new one, they've advanced quite a bit since 1996...

For the individual in Kissimmee: The reason why CompUSA will not allow returns with the UPC barcode removed from the box is simple - it is to prevent fraud. There have been many instances of consumers filing for rebates, then bringing the item in stating it was defective. Often if the "defective" item was tested, it worked perfectly fine - which meant that the manufacturer would refuse to take it back, and the store would be left with an opened item that we would now have to attempt to sell below cost. And all the while, the consumer waltzes off with the rebate money, which is truly a *double* swindle.

If your item didn't work within the 14 days, we would have been happy to replace it for you with a working item, or one that would be compatible with your system. Are you sure that you "just didn't want it"? (If you didn't want it, why would you have bought it to begin with?)

In response to Christopher: I really don't see what your complaint involves. Your parents purchased a computer in 1996. In 3 years' time, their monitor and printer had died (admittedly, a bit rough of a road, I'd say), but they were replaced. Who were they replaced by? Were they CompUSA products? Did you get them replaced by the manufacturer? Your complaint is not clear.

And if your parents' computer lasted for 8 years, I would say that was a remarkable period of time. I personally own a CompUSA built computer that was purchased in 1996, and 8 years later it's still running beautifully - I have had no complaints whatsoever.

My parents bought a computer from COMPUSA in October 1996. Since then, 1999, the monitor had 2 be replaced. 2000, printer died was replaced. 2000 had it recovered. Finally in early 2004 it finally died!!! I realise this is a 8 year old computer, but please!!!! So, my parents have vowed near 2 buy a computer from the swindlers again!!!!! COMPUSA SUCKS!!!!